| Language Arts
Teacher: Ben VandenBerg Room 212
Email: benjamin.vandenberg@morton709.org
“Allow each other to change our minds.”
-- Benjamin Franklin
Language Arts refers to the cognitive processes involved in producing and
understanding linguistic communication intended to provide general knowledge
and intellectual skills (rather than occupational or professional skills)
This class studies the core elements of language. We explore components of
grammar, technical and creative writing, reading and comprehension, and
broaden our knowledge of social orientation. In order to gain as
comprehensive a view as possible, we will draw on numerous kinds of
materials, including literature, autobiographies, film, and technology
focused exercises.
Grading Scale
A+ 100-99 C+ 84-82
A 98-95 C 82-79
A- 94-93 C- 78-77
B+ 92-91 D+ 76-75
B 90-87 D 74-72
B- 86-85 D- 71-70
Class Requirements
Class attendance and participation are required. Students are expected to be
in attendance and to be actively engaged in class whether that’s through work
or discussion. Class is not merely about learning new information. It’s
about learning how to express that information articulately and how to change
it to accommodate to new information. If a student is absent he or she is
required to make up late work. The student will have one day for every day
he or she was absent. If the student was absent for three days then they
will have three days to make up work beginning the day he or she returns to
school.
Late work
Meeting deadlines and requirements are a part of every person’s life. It is
a team wide agreement that if a student does not turn in homework on time, or
fails to be prepared for a presentation, then that student can only receive %
50 of the total grad for that assignment. Although %50 doesn’t sound like
much it’s twice as good as not the assignment at all.
Cheating and Plagiarism
These two acts of misconduct will not be tolerated in class, as it does not
foster a positive atmosphere for learning. Students will not receive a
warning for cheating and will not receive any points for the work.
Plagiarism will be discussed with the students before every writing
assignment and will be defined as is in the student handbook, “copying or
imitating the language, ideas, and /or thoughts of another writer and passing
them off as one’s own work.”
As a class, we should promote a comfortable learning environment free of all
stresses and pressures that occur throughout an adolescent’s life. We hope
to promote a sincere, safe, yet venturing educational experience where every
student feels free to express his or her own opinion among people who wont
judge them based on preferences and differences.
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